CUMBERLAND- “You have this crisis and the Red Cross was there and your neighbors are there. But to know that people from all over the country really were thinking of you. And not just thinking of you, but, you know, here are two ladies who decide they're going to hop in the car and do something. And they did and they really made a difference,” said Dawn Antonis, when asked about the supplies and help she received from the Farmville area Hurricane Sandy relief effort.

A resident of Ocean Gate, a small borough of Ocean County, New Jersey, on the banks of the Tom's River, Antonis' home was located only one block from the river. On the night when superstorm Sandy hit, water surged through the first floor, missing by inches the electrical outlets along the wall. All the furniture, TVs and clothes were ruined in that bottom floor, where bedrooms, a home office and a family room were located.

And that wasn't the only troubled waters Antonis was facing. She says, “People will ask me, 'where were you during the hurricane?' And I have to think about it because I was so focused on just my Julia. You know, everything else was just secondary.”

Her ten-year old daughter had been complaining of stomach pains and had been in the hospital two nights before the arrival of the superstorm. That night, she was in the hospital receiving an emergency appendectomy.

Thankfully, her daughter is doing much better now since the surgery, but her room was on the first floor of the house, Antonis explained, “My daughter lost basically all of her clothes except for what happened to be in the washer and drier that day.”

Coming home the next day, Antonis had to walk through knee-deep water just to get to her house.

The schools were closed for two full weeks. Antonis' husband's business is located on the thin peninsula that separates- or failed to separate during the superstorm- the Atlantic Ocean and the Barnegat Bay. It was still closed as of December 31.

Bringing Relief

December 6 was the feast day of Saint Nicholas, historically known as a giver of gifts and friend of children. That day, fulfilling a key aspect of the Santa Clause forerunner, Stephanie Tkach Orem, friends and a contingent of Hampden-Sydney College students were busily sorting and packing the trailer of a semi bound for New Jersey.

Working until 11 p.m. that night, Orem still had a few more carloads of donations to add to the trailer before it pulled out early Friday morning.

Orem grew up in Island Heights, New Jersey, situated just across the river from Antonis' devastated home.

For four years, she also lived in Seaside Heights, an area devastated by Sandy. After seeing images and speaking to old friends about the devastation of superstorm Sandy, Orem decided to help. About a month before the truck headed north, she began her Jersey Shore Hurricane Relief Fundraiser and Donation Drive with the help of friend and Cumberland-native Cheryl Ann Rundstrom.

A kid-size basketball hoop, artificial Christmas trees, wrapping paper and decorations, stuffed animals and many, many jumbo packs of paper towels were visible inside the semi. Orem reported that the relief effort had also collected a large amount of clothes and non-perishable food.

It was still dark outside when, Joe Swett, who donated his time to drive the truck to New Jersey, arrived to hook up the trailer.

With $1,200 raised to cover toll costs and fuel expenses, Orem, Rundstrom and Swett left early Friday morning, December 7, with the loaded tractor-trailer and a station wagon.

The sun was just beginning to set when they arrived to meet the folks from the Jersey Shore Animal Center and Operation Jersey Shore Santa. They were able to fill up the back of a Ford pick-up truck with supplies for the animal shelter.

Jackie O'Leary, a high school friend of Orem's and the founder of Operation Jersey Shore Santa, was one of the people who helped unload the donations. She was surprised by how much Orem was able to collect in such a short time, adding that the donations “were really, really helpful. We wound up taking the majority of that shipment to a town called Union Beach that had been decimated… they were in dire, dire need of a lot of supplies that Stephanie [Orem] wound up collecting.”

The donations for Operation Jersey Shore Santa from the Farmville area relief effort filled up three SUVs and one car.

O'Leary was amazed at the amount of donations and help Stephanie was able to collect in such a short amount of time. “We were very, very grateful.”

O'Leary said she delivered the donations to families that lost their home or half of their home, “people who lost a lot.”

She concluded, “It was just wonderful. What she [Orem] brought. We were just so, so thankful.”

The next day, Orem and Rundstrom volunteered at the Bayville first aid squad, were a donation drive was occurring. Here, Orem dropped off the majority of the clothes and food items. Some of the donations where then taken by the National Guard, who redistributed them in areas farther north.

Orem said their truck load of donations was an unexpected blessing, since two other trucks of donations which were slated to arrive that day were canceled at the last minute. “Everybody was so appreciative,” she said.

Orem was impressed with how well the distribution process was organized. Food was stacked on tables like a grocery store, with all similar items placed together. The clothes were sorted by size and type, with areas designated for girl's, boy's, men's and women's clothing. Those in need were able to come and more easily find what they needed.

Orem and Rundstrom helped people find what they needed. Rundstrom said that sometimes people would even assume they were local and ask them questions they didn't know. Many were surprised to find out they had come to help all the way from Virginia.

A New Friend

The highlight of the trip for both Orem and Rundstrom was helping Antonis and her family.

Antonis arrived at the Bayville first aid squad to pick up needed supplies, but had forgotten to empty out her trunk.

Orem affectionately remembers seeing a group of little girls trying to pack stuff into their vehicle. But, left to their own devices, they had forgotten a small detail. In their excitement to get some replacement clothes and some food, they didn't have enough room to fit themselves back into the small car, Antonis later remembered with a chuckle.

Orem offered to help the family, loading the donations into the back of her station wagon and then following them to their home.

Orem was especially happy to help, “I do know that some of the toys that she [Antonis] took came directly off of our truck…. That was really, really nice to know that people here specifically helped that one little girl who lost all of her toys and everything.”

For Antonis, Orem and Rundstrom's individual help was about more than the donations, “It was such madness and these two ladies come in the midst of it all and… they were just kind, so kind. And they gave me the most thoughtful warm hugs that a stranger could give to a person… I felt the genuine kindness coming from them, you know, and I got a lot of great stuff but I think the hugs were the best.”

Orem has remained in contact with Antonis, “To see old friends and help out old friends and then help out a new friend. It was very uplifting personally for me.”

As Antonis concluded her conversation with The Herald, she once again thanked the community as a whole for their support of the relief effort, “I'm really grateful that you've given me an opportunity to share with people how positive the experience was and how we really, truly, from the bottom of our hearts, all are so grateful. It's just heartwarming to know that people care, in this day and age when things have been so horrible lately. It's just so nice to know that there are still really good people out there and I'm grateful.”

Current Need

Although Christmas has come and gone, Operation Jersey Shore Santa is still busy at work. O'Leary stressed the need for gift cards. Families who had their home destroyed have nothing, she said. They may have been living in a hotel and now that they are seeking a rental they need to purchase everyday household items like kitchenware. Gift cards from building supply stores are helpful for those do-it-yourselfers who are rebuilding, O'Leary said, pointing out that at times insurance money can arrive slowly and government aid isn't always very substantial. More information can be found on their website, www.operationjerseyshoresanta. org, or through their Facebook page.

Orem also points to Helping Hands of New Jersey, a non-profit that is organizing volunteers who want to donate their time to help folks rebuild. It may be a good option for those who want to journey north and not only help rebuild buildings but also begin building new relationships with those who are still struggling to overcome the effects of Sandy, much like Orem and Rundstrom were able to do.

More information about Helping Hands of New Jersey can be found on their website, www.hhofnj.org, or through their Facebook page.